Chemical and Pharmacological Investigation of Macrocyclic Diterpenoids Isolated from Euphorbia Species

摘要

The genus Euphorbia is characterized by the occurrence of highly irritant and frequently tumour-promoting latex causing many toxicological problems to humans and animals. Various diterpene type toxins based on a tigliane and ingenane skeleton, referred to as 'phorboids', were isolated from Euphorbia species and identified as responsible for these effects (Evans and Taylor, 1983). Besides the presence of the well-known ingenanes and tiglianes, the genus also produces a high diversity of macrocyclic diterpenoids, which are regarded as precursors of polycyclic derivatives and occur in plants generally as complex mixtures in low concentration (Jakupovic et al., 1998; Appendino et al., 1998, 1999; Abbas et al., 2000). Among these jatrophanes and lathyranes are the preeminent in terms of distribution, biogenetic relevance and structural complexity (Fig. 14.1).